


Pawnee, Indiana

by Repeating_Simple_Phrases



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson, Parks and Recreation
Genre: Crack Crossover, Fluff, I'm Sorry, M/M, Swearing, ann is evan's aunt, evan and connor would be a touchy couple sue me, i have no idea where im going with this but please be kind, im literally just procrastinating by writing this, im sorry i dont make the rules
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19257979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeating_Simple_Phrases/pseuds/Repeating_Simple_Phrases
Summary: Evan Hansen has had a long senior year, with the addition of a boyfriend, a best friend, and two pretty kick-ass girls in his life. His plans for the summer was to relax in the comfort of his friends, but plans change when Heidi organizes a four-week stay at his Aunt Ann's house in Pawnee, Indiana.(crack turned actual fanfic)





	1. news

**Author's Note:**

> akdjsjfj okay y'all this was literally just because i'm rewatching parks & rec and there's that one scene where ron is looking for ann and said that she looks like a "hansen"
> 
> so yeah that's how this came to be
> 
> also im procrastinating on my other fic so haha yeet 
> 
> dont expect this to be good or consistently updated akfjsjfjd

   "Mom, I-I really don't think that it's a good idea." 

   Evan tried to reason with Heidi, watching her at the small dinner table as she rested her head on her elbow-propped hand. 

   "C'mon, sweetie, it'll be a nice detox from home, _plus_ you get to stay with your Aunt Ann!" The tired mother tried to reason, though her heavily bagged eyes showed nothing but obvious signs of exhaustion. Evan turned his back with a grimace, carefully prying out the pieces of toast from the toaster oven and placing it onto a plate. 

   "Aunt Ann", or Ann Perkins, as she'd introduced herself, was his mom's step-sister. Aunt Ann lived out in a city in the middle of Indiana; Pawnee, Indiana, if he remembers clearly. 

   He didn't know _why_ his mother was so intent on sending him to some other state with a relative that he'd only seen a handful of times for a whole month. There was nothing wrong at home, as far as he was aware of, and it's not like he had been acting any worse than usual. And his friendships and relationships were doing completely fine. 

   Scratch that- his friendships and relationships were thriving at this point. He and his boyfriend, Connor Murphy, had just recently achieved 2 and a half months of official "dating"; he and his (now) best friend, Jared Kleinman, have cleared up many past issues and have made up in the past school year, letting then properly become good friends for the first time since middle school. Alana Beck and Zoe Murphy, Connor's sister, had slowly but surely grew closer to Evan over time. It was a process, but one that definitely paid off in the end. 

   "How long did you say I'd be staying?" He asked with the grimace decorating his sun-kissed face. 

   "Approximately four weeks, if that works out with Ann." Heidi answered, taking a long sip from her cup of coffee to avoid conversation. After setting down the ceramic cup, she released a tired sigh. "I've already spoken to Ann, and she says that you're more than welcome and that there's a room for you to stay." 

   It didn't relieve him to know that his mother had practically planned out his entire stay without completely consulting him first.

   "One month in a grungy city in Indiana," Evan murmured, gently scratching at the inner side of his elbow out of pure habit. 

   "Come on, Evan, It really won't be that bad. Hey, think of it this way; You just graduated out of high school, and this could be your first big adventure! One whole month in a new environment with a bunch of people you could become close pals with!" Heidi stressed excitement onto her entire speech; her forced smile exaggerating the small, growing smile wrinkles about her mouth and eyes. 

   " _Yeah!_ " The blonde boy stressed the word in the same fashion, adding a minuscule fist pump to exaggerate it further. 

   "Hey, remember what you're supposed to work on?" His mom stood and swiftly removed herself from the chair and hurried to the kitchen to wash her two dishes. "It's hard, but try to look at the brighter side of things." She spoke right before turning the tap on and rinsing her dishware. 

   "I know, I know," Evan huffed, glancing down at his digital wristwatch, checking the date. June 22nd. Eight days until his probable leave. 

   "That's good, and I'm glad you do." She flashed him a nice, genuine smile, scrubbing the kitchen sponge onto the dishes in the sink. 

   Evan took the plate of toast to the small dining table, slumping down in his chair and staring at the bread. 

   This would be a long July.


	2. connor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was my excuse to write fluff im not sorry at all

   "Four weeks in Pawnee, Indiana." Evan complained, sprawled out on his boyfriend's unkempt bed. 

   Connor glanced over, releasing a gentle sigh before joining the blonde. He shuffled beside his boyfriend's side, letting his fingers dance across the blonde's arm.

   "I don't wanna go." Evan huffed, rolling onto his side to face Connor, looking directly into his eyes then yawning. Connor chuckled before mirroring him and yawning as well.

   "Then don't." The brunette spoke softly, tiredly dragging his fingers through the dirty blonde hair in front of him. 

   " _Mhmm,_ your fingers are everywhere, all the time," Evan murmured with a slurred voice, smiling softly with closed eyes.

   "Yeah, but you love it, so..." Connor retorted, giving the gold locks a gentle tug with every few strokes. The moment lasted for a few moments, almost lulling the smaller boy to sleep.

   "I really don't wanna go." He mumbled again, almost startling the tall boy. Connor huffed, twirling a single digit in the mop of yellow. 

   "Then _don't._ " The brunette heavily emphasized, staring back at open blue eyes. Evan shuffled a bit in place, resulting in Connor retracting his hand from Evan's hair and back to  
his side.

   Evan made a quiet "hmnph" noise, almost a whine as he sluggishly sat up in the bed, scratching his arms out of habit. The taller of the duo gently pulled Evan's hand down to stop the creation of the red streaks on the sun-kissed arms. 

   "I can't just... _not go_." The blonde frowned, closing his eyes with more pressure than necessary, creating wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He sighed again loudly in frustration,  groggily looking down at his boyfriend who remained laying on the bed. "My mom already talked to Aunt Ann about all of the arrangements, and she's seems so excited to get me out of the house and _gone_." 

   Connor watched as his boyfriend's face dropped as he spoke, instinctively sitting up and shuffling closer to him, initiating physical contact by snaking his hand towards the other boy's one. 

   "Then let me go with you." Evan's expressions transformed from confusion to shock to doubt all in the span of two seconds. 

   "N-No, that wouldn't be fair," The shorter boy rushed, glancing down at his palms as he anticipated sweat, and desperately wanting to let go of Connor's as he didn't want to gross him out again. Connor's head tilted slightly out of confusion, imitating a puppy and causing Evan's heart to skip a beat.

   "Why?" The brunette asked, genuinely confused and gripping the blonde's hands tighter, almost as reassurance.  

   "I can't just f-force you come with me to Indiana just because I don't want to go. I mean, this-this is _your_ summer too! A-And you shouldn't be holed up in a shabby house in the middle of Indiana in the stupidly hot summer!" The blonde rambled on, looking side-to-side as he listed all of the cons that would come is Connor had actually gone with him.

   "You wouldn't be forcing me, Evan." The taller of the duo calmly stated. "Besides, it's not like I had anything planned that wouldn't involve you." Connor smiled. Evan stared at his boyfriend for a second before hiding his face in Connor's chest without forewarning, wrapping his arms around the skinny abdomen. 

   The tall boy was somewhat startled at the sudden embrace, though reciprocating it immediately. 

   "I don't care if half of my summer is being in a _'shabby house in the middle of Indiana in the stupidly hot summer'_ ," Connor wore a gentle smile, looking down at the smaller boy in his arms. "I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you."

   Connor felt the blonde shuffle in his arms, loosening his grip to see the boy with an bashful look on his face. 

   "You're too good to me." Evan mumbled, his own hand cupping his face to feel the unwanted warmth in his cheeks. Connor gently pried the hand off of his cheek, deciding to rest his own palm again the soft skin. 

   "You deserve so much more than what I can give you." Connor spoke softly, rubbing his thumb against the warm, plush cheeks. The words only caused Evan's face to flush with a harder pink, making the brunette chuckle. 

   After a moment, the taller boy slowly leaned over, reclining onto his back and pulling the blonde down with him, erupting in soft laughter and calm grins. The two lay there for another hour or so; Evan falling asleep shortly after, and Connor taking in the sight of his boyfriend. 

   It would be a long July, but they'd have each other, and that's what really mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry you cant tell me that connor and evan arent extremely touchy when theyre alone


	3. start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> qkfjsjfjd okay but honestly this fic is just self-indulgent

   "Are you sure you two are completely packed?" Heidi asked, uncertainty strong in her voice. The mother stood right beside Evan who was packing his bags into the backseat of Connor's car. 

   It was July 1st, the day that both Evan and Connor would be heading out to Pawnee, Indiana. Originally, Heidi considered on purchasing a plane ticket for Evan when it was only his going, though with a week of persuasion (and a little bit of bribery), she had let them both drive to Indiana. 

   It was going to be a ten-hour drive, with definite gas stops and breaks at whatever landmark they may pass by. Truthfully, Evan was quite nervous for the trip. He had only met his aunt a handful of times, and he wasn't even sure why she was so comfortable with letting him stay over. 

   Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Would she be a snobby person and stick up her nose to his anxiety? Maybe she's homophobic and would hate both him and Connor for being together? Would she even be _comfortable_ with Connor there since it was originally only supposed to be him? 

   The blonde snapped out of it, only now realizing that his mother had asked him a question. 

   "Yeah, I-I think so." He nodded, only receiving a  tired smile from his mother in return. Connor finished with securely packing his things into the trunk of his car, closing the door with more force than intended. Evan flinched from the sound, earning a quick sorry from the brunette. Heidi sighed, soon followed by a yawn. 

   "Well, if you did forget anything, I'll mail it to you." She partially joked, before stepping closer to her son. Heidi gently caressed Evan's face, smiling softly. "I can't believe my little boy is going on a trip out of state without me." Her smile turned sad as she pulled him in for a hug.

   "M-Mom, I'll only be gone for f-four weeks," The blonde boy tried to reason, leaning into her hand before placing his hand on it for a second, prying it off without much effort. "A-And, you're going to be busy and you won't even notice that I'm gone!" 

   Heidi gripped her sons hand before slipping her palms back into the pant pockets of her scrubs. 

   "I'm going to miss you, Evan." She spoke, releasing another sigh. "It's hard seeing my baby boy grow up, y'know?" She asked. Evan only nodded in response, glancing over to Connor who was watching from the back of the car, a safe distance from the two. 

   The tall boy nodded, understanding the "look" to be a signal for him to get Evan into the car already, knowing well enough that Heidi would get emotional over Evan leaving. Connor casually walked to his boyfriend's side, holding his hands together. 

   "Ev, we should probably leave now if you want us to get there before dinner." The brunette stated, watching as both mother and son nodded in response. 

   "Alright, then, I should be heading out to work soon, too." Heidi smiled, pulling her son into a hug once again, squeezing him without warning, causing Evan to peep out a silent squeak. She pulled back after a moment. "I'll see you at the end of the month." She said, ushering Evan into the passenger seat of the car as Connor speed walked to the drivers seat. 

   The blonde boy slipped into the passenger's seat, buckling his seat belt automatically right after closing the door. 

   "I love you!" Heidi shouted as Connor turned on the ignition, rolling down the both of their windows.

   "I love you too!" Evan shouted with a smile plastered on his face, waving through the window of the car door. After driving to the point where the apartment complex was out of sight, Connor rolled up the windows, wordlessly deeming it too cold to keep the windows open.

   The sun was just rising, meaning that their long journey from Maryland to Indiana was just beginning. 

   "Ten hours, Evan," Connor smiled, eyes on the empty road in front of them. "How many car games do you know?"


	4. pit stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so long wtf
> 
>  
> 
> also?? this took me so long too?? please excuse me for butchering chris i love him but how do you write him

   "Hey, Ev," Connor nudged the sleeping boy's arm in attempt to wake him. "We're getting closer." He mumbled, knowing that his boyfriend was still sound asleep. 

   They were about nine and a half hours into their drive, leaving roughly half an hour left, according to Google Maps. Connor, for one, was absolutely exhausted. He had agreed to drive for the most part. 

   He enjoyed driving, being completely honest. He liked feeling the freedom of taking the wheel, rolling the windows down to feel the harsh wind blow through his hair. He loved listening to random songs on the radio that he was sure he was never going to hear again, and the awful static of baseball game stations that he'd pass over. Driving was, in his opinion, one of his favorite things to do.

   But driving for nearly seven hours in one day wasn't. 

   On long, quiet roads, Evan offered himself to drive, allowing the brunette to rest his eyes or eat some of the various snacks that they had packed. 

   Connor was certain that his eye bags were dark and more unappealing than usual. _A great first impression for your boyfriend's aunt."_ He hummed with a sarcastic attitude in his voice. The taller teen pulled over into the upcoming gas station, not necessarily having to fill gas just yet, but to take a breather. 

   "Evan," He nudged his boyfriend again, harder this time. Thankfully, he was shaken out of his sleeping state.

   Evan hummed, rubbing his eyes before opening them properly then squinting to see the afternoon sun still shining brightly through the windshield despite it nearly being four in the evening. 

   "It's too bright." He mumbled, covering his eyes with the jacket that he had used as a makeshift pillow. The corned of Connor's mouth perked up, watching the blonde boy struggle to adjust his eyes to the sun. 

   "Rise and shine." The brunette teased, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door of the car, slipping out swiftly and rewarding himself with a long needed stretch.

   Evan glanced down at his wristwatch, grimacing at the time. As if on cue, his stomach gurgled, alerting him that he was hungry. 

   "I think we finished the snacks already." Evan huffed, unbuckling his own seatbelt and doing the same as his boyfriend did. 

   "Yeah, I think you ate the last of it before you decided to take a nap." Connor stated, causing Evan to don an expression of embarrassment. "Wanna pick up something small for the last bit?" He asked, closing his door already. Evan quickly followed suit, closing the door and walking around the car to his boyfriend's side barely brushing his fingers with the other's. 

   The brunette looking down at the slightly sweaty hands, huffing quickly before sliding his hand into the one nearly touching his, intertwining their fingers. Evan peeped a little "oh" in surprise before squeezing gently. 

   "Is this okay?" Connor inquired. He knew that Evan didn't always feel comfortable with public displays of affection, even if it was as small as interlocking hands. The blonde nodded, nibbling at his lower lip. 

   Like usual, Connor lead the way to the convenience store that was located on the same property of the gas station. Exaggerating just to see Evan smile, he opened the glass door with a bow, grinning as he heard a quiet giggle escape his boyfriend's lips. 

   The tall boy let the door close on its own, letting the little bell at the top corner of the entrance chime. Connor immediately walked to the right, heading to the first aisle where they were stocked with magazines of many popular and obscure issues. Evan surveyed the store quickly, relieved that the only people inside the little shop, aside from himself and Connor, was the cashier and a few other middle-aged adults on the opposite side of the store.

   The blonde shuffled towards the brunette, peeking over his shoulders as the taller of the duo was leaning down and browsing the racks. 

   "What are you looking for?" Evan asked in a hushed whisper, glancing over to stare at his boyfriend, finding it cute to see him looking so intently. 

   "This." Connor answered, his long fingers gently pulling out a paperback book from the very back of the display shelf. In bold letters, the title read "Extreme Word Search + Sudoku", causing Evan to giggle in response. "I'll need it for the trip if there's down time." He continued, holding the book between his arm and his side and continued his stride down the short aisle

   Evan's eyes lit up as they approached the refrigerated wall, containing a concerning variety of bottled water, juices, milk, and alchohol. 

   "Thirsty?" Connor asked with a little grin, watching Evan sputter out something along the lines of "I'm okay, really, we have water in the car still". With a little poke and nudge, the smaller boy picked out a single-serve carton of soy milk.

   "Why not _actual_ milk?" Connor hummed, walking to the neighboring refrigerator door and pulling out a small, cardboard carton of chocolate milk for himself. 

   "I-I just like how it tastes." Evan murmured, following right behind his boyfriend as he cruised down one of the few snack aisles. The brunette picked up a couple bags of his favorite candies and chips, arms full. Evan, on the other hand, cautiously picked up a resealable package of individually wrapped Starbursts. 

   "'Got what you want?" Connor asked, not waiting for an answer and already starting his walk to the register. Evan scurried to Connor, staying right behind him as they waited for the cashier to be done with the transaction of the person in front of them.

   "Thank you, Connor," Evan mumbled, face buried in the back of Connor's shirt, causing the tall boy to tense from the sudden contact. 

   "What for?" The brunette glanced back at his boyfriend with a gentle smile, almost basking in the domestic actions despite being in public. 

   "Driving me out here, and-and staying with me during the summer. You've done so much for me, it's-it's insanely sweet of you." Evan pulled his face from his boyfriend's back, feeling it warm from the blood rushing up to his face. 

   "You know that I'd do anything for you, right?" Connor whispered, not wanting the other shoppers hear him declare his love for his boyfriend. Evan mumbled a silent and stuttery "yeah", causing Connor's smile to grow wider. 

   The cashier cussed in frustration at his malfunctioning register, breaking the two out of their domestic bliss and reminding them of the current setting. Both of their smiles dropped into embarrassed or annoyed glances. As if on cue, another shopper got in line behind them, instinctively making Evan shuffle closer to the taller boy.

   "That's an excellent choice in milk!" A confidently loud voice stated behind Evan, startling both of the boys and almost making Evan drop his package. "I _literally_ just had that brand of soy milk yesterday." The man stated.

   The two teens turned their heads around to see the taller, older man behind them. He stood just a hair shorter than Connor, but was definitely more built and structured better than Connor. His strong jawline was complimented by his aged smile lines, and the grin set on his face felt uncomfortably contagious. 

   "Chris Traeger," He introduced himself, extending his hand. 

   Evan anxiously shook it, almost flinching at the strong grip the man had. "E-Evan Hansen." He returned the gesture, pulling his hand back as soon as it was released. 

   "Connor." The tall teen spoke, nodding in acknowledgment as his hands were, thankfully, too full to do any gesture with them. Chris, as the adult had introduced himself as, grinned brightly at the response. 

   "It's nice to meet you, Evan and Connor. What are you two doing out here so late?" He asked in genuine curiosity, causing Connor to sigh quietly, not wanting to share his life with a complete stranger.  

   "We're- um- we're visiting my aunt." The blonde boy answered, letting his fingers fidget with the thicker plastic material in his hands. 

   A quiet "Thank God" stole Evan's attention as it was finally his and Connor's turn to pay for their food and drinks. The tall boy practically dumped his items onto the table in front of them while Evan gently placed his drink and package beside the food items. 

   In one swift transaction, their purchase was complete, a sigh of relief from the cashier who thanked a holy deity for them not purchasing alchohol and making the purchase even harder than it had to be. 

   Connor swiped up all of their things in his long arms and made a beeline to the door, pushing it open with his back. Evan rushed to follow to prevent being left behind. As they approached the door, Chris gave a large wave and smile as he had set his own things at the register. 

   "See you later, Evan Hansen and Connor!" He spoke happily. Connor mumbled something under his breath as he walked straight to the car, cursing as his hands were full and he couldn't unlock the doors. 

   A chuckle escaped from Evan's lips as he began to take the items from his boyfriend's arms and holding them in his own. 

   "Thanks, Ev." The tall brunette murmured, quickly opening the drivers seat before loading the snacks into his car. In a moment, the couple soon loaded themselves in the car. 

   As the ignition started, Connor hummed, readying himself to pull out of the parking lot. 

   "That 'Chris' guy," 

   "Yeah?"

   "I don't like him." Connor spoke calmly, reversing out of the stall, not bothering to properly look behind them as he knew it was already clear. 

   With furrowed, mildly offended brows, Evan shouted. "C-Connor!" He scolded. 

   "He was too invasive, and you shouldn't've told him your last name." The brunette reasoned, now successfully out of the parking stall and driving back onto the main road. 

   "I-I mean, I suppose?" Evan shrugged, grabbing the carton of soy milk and digging into his backpack that he had in the passenger's seat and pulling out a metal straw. "He was just curious, a-and I don't really blame him." 

   "Still, you can never be too safe." Connor sighed. "The last thing I want is for you to get hurt, okay? And, as much as you _want_ to see the good in people, they aren't always that good." Evan had only huffed in response, sounding a lot more like a pout than anything else. 

   The blonde punctured his straw through the thin layer of plastic above the designated straw hole, quickly taking the first sip and savoring it with glee. 

   "We're almost there. Pawnee, Indiana." Connor mentioned, tired eyes still on the road. 

   Evan nodded, glancing back from his boyfriend to the road. "I know."


	5. worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a lot shorter but !! my boys needed a small chapter before they actually settled into pawnee

   True to what Connor had said earlier, it took them roughly thirty minutes to arrive in Pawnee. Connor grimaced as he read the large, green road sign on their right.

**_PAWNEE  
First in Friendship, Fourth in Obesity_ **

   Right off the bat, the city looked fairly average, letting Connor finally exhale that sigh of relief as he had expected some sort of dump.

   "Ev? We're here." He spoke calmly, pulling Evan out of his own thoughts. The blonde glanced around, looking at the fairly dusty road ahead of them. The yellow streetlights just flipped on, illuminating the streets alongside with the sunset.

   "We're supposed to meet Aunt Ann at her workplace since she's- um- she's staying late to work on a thing with her co-workers." Evan explained, head now facing down to his lap as his fingers toys with the fraying threads of his shirt. He shuffled around in place as he started to pick at the threads ever more, tempted more than ever to just yank the threads out of place.

   Connor glanced at Evan, mild worry filling his head as Evan continued to fiddle with his clothes.  With a silent inhale, Evan began to speak.

   "What if she hates me?" He began with an uncomfortable look on his face, pursing his lips and staring at his fingers. "What if she thinks that I'm not as-as _messed up_ as I really am, a-and when she meets me, she immediately thinks that I-I'm too _fucked up_ for her to handle?" The blonde's breath quickened.

   Connor immediately pulled the car over on one of the empty roadsides, parking the car in record time and turning to his boyfriend. l

   "Evan, look at me, please." Connor reached his hands out to Evan's, palms open and nearly reaching for his boyfriend's. He knew better than to grab the blonde's hands when he was panicking, knowing that that would make the situation even worse.

   Thankfully, the boy complied, slowly turning his head to the left, though eye still faced down. His hands shakily moved towards Connor's, barely ghosting across the skin, nearly giving the tall boy goosebumps. Evan's breathing remained at the unnaturally faster pace. Connor sighed.

   "She's gonna hate me." The blonde boy stated, biting his lip harsher than you should, nearly breaking the skin. His hands zipped up to his exposed neck, scratching our of poor habit, leaving red streaks across the tanned neck. Connor instinctively swatted the boy's hand away from his neck, holding it down with the other before he had the chance to scratch it again.

   "Hey, Evan, _hey,_ " Connor called out, finally grabbing his boyfriend's attention. "you know what?" He asked, trying to get direct eye contact, or whatever was the next closest thing. "If she doesn't love you as much as she should, we can just hop back into my car, drive back to Maryland, and do whatever shit we want for the next month." He forced a small smile, trying to lighten whatever the mood was.

   "I-I can't just make you drive for a-another nine hours, Connor."

   "I don't care about the drive, Evan. I care about _you_ , and if you don't want to be here by the end of today, I'm sure as hell that I'm going to get you back home by sunrise."

   The blonde's eyes grew glossy, and nose beginning to sniffle and run. Evan finally took Connor's hands, resulting in the small smile on Connor's face to be genuine.

   With a silent giggle, Evan spoke softly, "You don't like Pawnee-"

   "I think this place looks like the pits," Connor laughed quietly, a grin settling on his face, "but I'm here because I want to be here with you."

   Evan nodded, squeezing his boyfriend's hands gently, rubbing his thumb across the long fingers and feeling the grooves of the knuckles, calming him slightly.

   "Let's-Let's go." Evan smiled releasing Connor's hands a few seconds later, allowing him to return his hands to the wheel.

   Evan's eyes drifted back to the roads ahead of them, and to the buildings that he could see in the distance. The whole month was waiting for him, and he and Connor were about to face it. Together.


	6. parks and rec department

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me forever, and it's rlly short, but I hope you like it!! dont forget to comment if you liked anything, or have suggestions for future chapters!!♡♡

   "Google Maps says to take the next right and-and we should be in the parking lot." Evan read on his smartphone, biting his lip as his eyes focused on the device in his hands. They remained on 100 State Street for another couple of minutes.

   Connor nodded in acknowledgment as he drove according to the directions, pulling into the car lot and sighing in relief as it was relatively empty. Well, it was well past 5PM, so a majority of the workers had left. The tall boy parked into one of the closest stalls to the front entrance of the building, turning to his boyfriend as he turned the engine off. Evan glanced up as he felt the air conditioning come to a stop, looking at his boyfriend for a second before unbuckling his seat belt and slipping on his drawstring backpack. 

   Connor followed suit, pocketing his keys and phone after exiting and locking the car. Evan slid out of the car shortly after, securely shutting the door and walking around the vehicle to be beside Connor once again. 

   "Ready?" 

   "Yeah, 'ready'." 

   The brunette lead the way, wearing a straight expression despite wanting to smile on the inside, feeling the blonde so close to him that their arms were brushing against each other's. The two of them entered the large building, Connor walking up to the information desk to see the large directory. 

   "Where did you say that she works?" Connor asked, almost in a whisper. Evan shuffled closer to the directory, skimming the paper as well.

   "The Health Department, but she said that-that she'd be in the- um- Parks and Recreation Department." The blonde answered, lighting up as he pointed to what was labeled their destination. "First floor." He spoke with a grin. Connor practically melted at that. 

   The taller boy lead the way to the Parks and Recreation Department, following the wordless directions from the directory, eventually stopping at a large glass door. there were only a few people within the room, as far as Connor could see, so he took that as a good sign. 

   He could hear Evan's breathing due to how heavy it was. His hand grazed Evan's, causing the smaller boy to look up at him. 

   "We can wait a few, if you'd like." Connor offered with a calm voice. "Maybe sit on the bench by one of those disturbing murals?" He jokingly suggesting, earning a snort and grin from the blonde. 

   "No-No, I-I think I'm good." Evan nodded, though it appeared as he was trying to tell himself that rather than Connor. After a few taps on the vinyl flooring from Evan's foot, he inhaled and exhaled slowly. "L-Let's go." 

   With new and uncertain confidence, Evan strided towards the double doors, pushing through one to enter a large room filled with chaos. 

   "Holy..." His voice softened as the chaos continued. If he hadn't known any better, he would assume that it's a party, but with the amount of American flags and political symbols that decorated every surface, he couldn't be so sure. 

   "Shit." Connor completed the statement as he followed behind his boyfriend, wordlessly ushering him in so he could shut the door. As it closed, it made an uncomfortably loud noise, making majority of the room, Evan included, flinch. 

   With the loud sound from their direction, the party came to a halt, majority of the adults in the room turning their heads to the two teens. One of the men, whose energy rivaled an enthusiastic golden retriever, still ran around and jumped, taking an extra moment to realize the new mood of the room. 

   Evan stood there, tense, but with Connor directly at his side. 

   "Oh, hi, hello!" A short, but also energetic, lady in a pantsuit rushed over in their direction from the opposite side of the room. "What can I help you with?" She asked with a grin from ear to ear, clearly not phased by their sudden intrusion. 

   "At this hour..." A bigger lady in the back spoke, inspecting her various rings in a bored manner.

   "You two don't look familiar, and I should know, since I've volunteered at basically every school in Pawnee at this point." The short blonde lady, who donned a red, white, and blue part hat, spoke casually, but the energy was still there. 

   "Oh, w-we're not from here, actually." Evan explained as best as he could before Connor interrupted him. 

   "We're from Maryland," The tall teenager spoke with little amusement in his tone as he watched the confused expressions show. "And we're looking for someone right now." 

   Before anyone could say anything else, a lightly taller brunette lady walked out the doors of the back office, decked out in the American flag colors, with streamers decorating her from head to toe. She rushed over, initially to get back to the pantsuit-clad lady, but she had slowed down in her tracks as Evan came into view. 

   "Oh my God, Evan, it's you!" She excitedly exclaimed, making her way over before hugging him, quickly releasing him after feeling him tense in response.

   "Who?" A chorus of many of the workers within the room asked nearly in sync, almost all of them having identical expressions of confusion.


	7. introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me so long but here you go!! i didn't know how to write them all, but i tried so hoohoo!!
> 
>  
> 
> comment what you thought, or what you want to see next!♡

   "Oh, guys, this is my nephew, Evan."

   " _Nephew?_ " The blonde lady spoke, slight over exaggeration in her voice and her eyes widened. Connor would've laughed if she hadn't stepped closer to him and Evan, nearly inspecting them. 

   Murmurs and quiet mumbles echoed from the back of the room, nearly everyone asking something along the lines of "I didn't know she had a nephew" and "Did you know about this?". Evan would've let his anxiety spiral if the very eager lady would step back to leave him with his thoughts. 

   She did not. 

   "So you two traveled all the way here from Maryland to see Ann?" She asked, not giving either of them a moment to reply as she whipped back to facing Ann, eyes still wide from both newborn excitement and shock. "You didn't tell me that your nephew and his friend would be visiting." She very loudly whispered. 

   Ann rose her hands in a defensive manner, wearing a slightly forced smile. "It slipped my mind and I forgot to tell you!" She responded, a slightly fatigued expression on her face as she looked at the teens. 

   "So is anyone gonna ask why they're here or will I have to?" The shorter Indian man peeps from the backside of the room, raising a brow and he simultaneously picked up and ate a salsa-covered chip from his dessert plate. 

   "Yeah, it would've been nice to have a little forewarning." The black lady in the back huffed, grabbing the expensive bottle of wine by the neck and placing it in one of the storage compartments of her office desk, doing it so casually as if that was its designated location. 

   "Wow, great job Ann, inviting minors to a party with alchohol." The young lady in the back of the room sat with a red solo cup cradled in her hands, downing the remainder of the cup's contents then slamming the plastic cup back onto the desk surface. " _Real professional._ " She spoke with heavy sarcasm obvious in her voice. 

   "Hey, I didn't know that there was going to be alcohol here." Ann spoke up, a hand on her hip.

   "Really?" The black lady in the back mumbled, sitting back down in her office chair, raising a brow, clearly wanting this to progress so they could get back to whatever they were doing. 

   Ann sighed loudly, clearing her throat, not intentionally trying to gather their attention, but doing so anyway. 

   "This is my nephew, Evan-"

   "We know." 

   The younger lady spoke up again, now leaning on the side of the younger guy who was running around the office space earlier. With quick sigh of exasperation, Ann continued.

   "And his friend Connor." He nodded, treating it like roll call. "They're going to be staying with me for the next four weeks for part of their summer break, and they might come in every so often to help out." Ann smiled, glancing back at both boys before looking back to her coworkers.  "Now if you guys could introduce yourselves so I don't have to later, that would be great."

   The blonde lady in front of them grinned, obviously holding in her excitement to speak until Ann had granted permission, and now that she had, everything would now flood.

   "It's an honor to meet you, Evan." She beamed. "I'm Leslie Knope, your aunt Ann's best friend for _basically_ all of eternity." Without a second passing, Leslie turned to Connor, not ignoring him for a second. "And you too, Connor! I know that the whole 'Parks and Rec' crew are absolutely delighted to have you two boys here for the rest of the month." 

   With a blunt nod and uncomfortable smile, Ann gestured for the lady with the wine to go next. With a sigh, she complied.

   "Donna Meagle. Do _not_ cross me." She stated sternly. 

   "Tom Haverford." The short Indian man spoke, a programmed smile on his face. "Owner of Pawnee's own famous 'Rent-A-Swag'." He strode over to the two teens, holding a business card between his fingers. "At Rent-A-Swag you can get the dopest shirts, the swankiest jackets, the slickest cardigans, the flashiest fedoras, the hottest ties-" Tom cut himself off as he got closer to the boys, realizing that they were both taller than him. "And that's where I'll stop myself." He pocketed the business card. 

   With slightly widened, amused eyes, Connor stared down at Tom. Turning around, Tom gestured back to an older white man who was seated with a plate of chips and dip. 

   "That's Jerry, but he doesn't matter much." Tom stated. 

   "I'm Judy Hitler, direct descendant of Adolf Hitler." The young lady seated in the back spoke in a monotonous voice. 

   " _April_." Ann said, almost threateningly. 

   "And _I'm_ Bert Macklin, FBI. Secret agent." The guy next to her, probably in his mid twenties, lied with childish confidence. 

   "That's just April and Andy," Leslie stated, walking back over to the few remaining people. "Don't let them rope you into their plans. They're the troublemakers in the family."

   "Eww, gross, don't call us a family." April closed in on herself as she made a face of displeasure. 

   "Anyway, this is Ben Wyatt." Leslie introduced. Ben nodded in acknowledgment of his name, smiling courteously.

   "Nice to meet you two." He said, glancing back to Ann, as that was everyone within the room, then back to the boys. "So, where are you two staying?" He asked. 

   Connor gently nudged Evan's shoulder, wordlessly telling him to respond as Evan hadn't caught on. 

   "Oh, uh, we're staying with Aunt Ann." Evan answered, shuffling bit in place. 

   "Oh, shit," Ann spoke up, palm on her forehead , following with a sigh. "The guest room only has one bed. I mean, the couch is available, if either of you don't mind?" She said, disappointment in her voice. 

   "No, no, i-it's alright!" The blonde teen peeped, "Connor and I will be fine." 

   "Are you sure?" Ann asked.

   "We'll be fine, Ann, thank you." Connor stated calmly, trying to keep a good reputation around her. "We're used to one room since we stay the night at each other's a lot."

   "Alright." Ann sighed. "Well, I promised Leslie that I'd stay here until seven, and I didn't anticipate you two getting here this early, so feel free to hang out here and eat or whatever." She said, gesturing to the long table with trays of chips, dip, and a couple cupcakes. 

   "Alright guys, let's get back to this party!" Leslie excitedly rushed back to the other side of the room, closer to her office, then playing the play button on the boom box, continuing one of the tracks that were playing earlier. The rest of the Parks and Recreation department went back to their own conversations, leaving Evan and Connor there. 

   With some weird trap version of presidential music in the background, Evan looked up at Connor with a tiny, amused grin on his face. He reached for his hand, gently grabbing it and squeezing it, knowing that just about everyone was busy with themselves to notice the two teenagers holding hands.  
  


	8. and so forth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i binge wrote this in one night so i hope it's okay!

   The evening turned into night, which Connor wouldn't have minded if it were only he and Evan in the office space. Leslie Knope, if he could remember clearly, didn't hesitate when it came to squeezing every bit of information out of Evan as she could. Well, information about Ann, which Evan knew little to nothing about. 

   "So, Evan, it's crazy, y'know? I didn't know that your Aunt Ann has a _sister_ , much less a nephew." She emphasized, nearly scaring Evan as she spoke. "Is there anything else I should know about the family?" 

   "W-Well, I don't- I don't really know much about her side of the family." The blonde teen sputtered out, hand instinctively wrapping about his arm that once was wrapped with a cast. "My, uh, my grandpa and Aunt Ann's mom remarried, so it's-it's um- we're not blood related or anything." 

   "Oh, well then..." Leslie mumbled something that neither of the boys could understand clearly. She then started off with another topic, something that Connor had tuned out as he stared at the other side of the room, wanting to get his hands on the plainly decorated cupcake that sat alone on the plastic tray. 

   While Leslie was rambling about things that he could only comprehend as politics, he gently tapped the side of Evan's clothed arm, gaining the blonde's attention right away. He hummed in acknowledgment as he looked up at his boyfriend. 

   "I'm gonna grab something for myself from over there," Connor gestured his head in the general direction of the snack table. 

   Confirming for himself that Leslie was still lost in her own rambling, Evan inched his body closer to Connor. "Grab something for me too?" He asked quietly, his hand clutching the wrinkled fabric of the bottom of Connor's shirt. The brunette would've despised the action if it was anyone other than Evan doing it, whom he found incredibly endearing. 

   He nodded with a tiny, crooked smile adorning his pale face. "Yeah, of course." He gently brushed his thumb across Evan's hand that was still holding onto his shirt, a wordless signal for the smaller boy to release the fabric, in which he followed suit. "I'll be right back." Connor whispered before he swiftly maneuvered around the desks and chair that were in his way, arriving at the fold out table with a bright red, white, and blue table cloth over it. He cringed at the sight of it before grabbing a napkin, unfolding it in his hand, and pouring some of what he assumed was Chex Mix into the center of it. 

   The tall teen wore a tiny grin on his face, as the snack mix was in the middle of the napkin, vividly reminding him of elementary school and his boy scout group. Sure, it enforced toxic masculinity and was one of Connor's first experiences with bullying, but he liked packing snacks in handkerchiefs and unwrapping them during camping trips, and this reminded him of those few and scarce "good" memories. 

   He shook the memory from his head before the negative ones made themselves present, speeding up his pace and pouring more then enough of the Chex Mix into the napkin. 

   "Hey, Hot Topic," The young lady- April?- spoke, sitting in Andy's lap, clearly relaxed enough to be leaning back onto him, but her darkly-lined eyes were focused on him. 

   "You're gonna have to be more original than that," Connor murmured, not giving in to look at her. He continued with his snack mix, folding in the corners of the napkin when he was satisfied with the amount that was definitely more than enough for two people. "This asshole at my high school called me that every other day, so it isn't anything new." He continued, thinking back to Jared and his stupid nicknames that he originally hated, but eventually grew used to them. 

   "That's bull." April stated, a little taken back at his response. 

   "Yeah, he's fine now, I guess, but he was a menace last year." Connor went on, twisting the tops of the napkin corners. 

   "Well, Mister 'Dark and Brooding', if anyone gives you shit for being emo, tell them that Miss Hitler will hint them down." April said with a little smile decorating her vaguely concerning and emotionless face.

   "Noted," Connor stated, glancing up to meet April's eyes. "Also, can you cut it with the whole 'Hitler' thing? I get that you're into dark and inappropriate humor and shit, but Evan's stupidly empathetic and he gets uncomfortable when Hitler's even mentioned." 

   Visibly surprised once again, April's eyes widened slightly, thought it appeared to be in amusement more than anything else. "You're very protective over your boyfriend aren't you?" She asked, poking at Connor, watching him grow irritated with her prodding. 

   "Just give me an answer." He wore an unpleasant expression, turning his body in her with a sigh of disappointment. 

   "Fine, fine, I'll be more cautious before I joke around your boy toy." April sighed before crossing her arms and leaning back onto Andy, only now gaining his attention as his was wandering somewhere else during the whole conversation. 

   "Thanks." Connor spoke, almost sarcastically, grabbing the last cupcake on the tray. Before turning around and back to Evan, he glances at April once more. "He's not my boy toy, and I'll be as protective as I'd like." He stated, finally turning around and walking back to Evan, who appears relieved that Leslie had walked away, currently engaged in another conversation.

   "Hey." Evan whispered, a little grin forming on his lips and Connor returned. His hands raised slightly, gesturing for him to move closer. Connor quickly followed orders, being in close proximity. He swore that he could feel April watching them, but he didn't dare want to mention it to Evan and make him feel uncomfortable again. 

   "Cupcake?" Connor asked, holding out the patrioticly decorated baked good for the small blonde, watching him slowly take it into him own hands. 

   "I don't want the whole thing though." Evan mumbled. 

   "We can share?" The brunette suggested, watching the blonde's face light up after hearing that. "Tired?" He asked with a little chuckle. 

   With a little giggle, Evan nodded, yawning immediately after he had thought of his drowsiness. "Mmhmn." He mumbled.

   "I think a few of them already left, so I doubt we're staying here for much longer." Connor spoke, pulling one of the office chairs that was near him closer to Evan, making it clear that it was for his boyfriend to sit. 

   Evan seated himself on the surprisingly soft spinny chair, leaning back into it and releasing the breath he didn't realize he was holding. 

   "Let me hold that..." Connor took the cupcake from Evan's hand, not wanting to risk the death of a cupcake. "Just get some rest for now, Ev, we'll be leaving soon, and I won't leave your side." Connor softly stated. 

   And that was the last thing Evan heard before he drifted to sleep in the office chair, not caring at all about the back and neck pains he was about to get when he woke up. 

  


End file.
